Muirhead has unveiled its newest design directions for aviation leather. Revolving around the theme ‘ReWILDing’, the conceptual collection was inspired by the firm’s Scottish provenance and commitment to sustainability and circularity.
The theme will take centre stage on Muirhead’s stand at Aircraft Interiors Expo (AIX) 2023 as part of its interactive Design Garden studio.
Based on industry insights from market intelligence agencies, and drawing inspiration from cross-industry material and fashion developments, Muirhead’s created its new design directions to reflect some of the latest and most influential design trends in 2023. These include sustainability, technology and biophilic design.
The ReWILDing concept, developed by Muirhead’s in-house design experts, champions the importance of biophilic design principles that showcase the connection between nature and human well-being.
“Every day, our in-house design experts work closely with airlines and manufacturers to co-create the perfect leather for their needs,” said Debra Choong, design manager at Muirhead and the Scottish Leather Group. “To guide them through this process, we offer fresh insight around the latest cross-industry design and material trends, and translate these into conceptual designs to further inspire, challenge and excite our customers.”
“Our ReWILDing concept is a seamless blend of contemporary ideas, such as biophilic design, and further inspiration from our own surroundings,” continued Choong. “Not only have we pioneered circular leather manufacturing by recovering energy and by-products from process waste and end-of-life leather, but we’re also proud to be surrounded by Scotland’s epic landscapes and pristine wilderness. With that, it’s no surprise sustainability and Scottish nature were both integral to Muirhead’s design directions this year.”
“At its core, ReWILDing is about restoring natural ecosystems with the reintroduction of native species,” said Choong. “We have further distilled this into three new design directions, which respond to the challenges of the 21st century – ensuring our valued customers can stay ahead of the curve and that the designs we create today remain relevant for the next decade.”
The ReWILDing collection features three aesthetic design directions, intended to help customers make informed choices in finding the right colours, materials and finishes for their genuine leather interiors. Each design direction takes inspiration from one of Scotland’s distinctive habitats – Mountains & Moorlands, Wetlands and Grasslands.
Muirhead said ReWILDing emphasises the role of sustainable manufacturing processes – as well as the use of long-lasting, reusable materials – in minimising the impact on the natural environment.
